In response to Howard Lutnick being confirmed as Commerce Secretary, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement: 

“Just like Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick has made it crystal clear that he doesn’t care about working families or lowering costs – just lining his own pockets with another tax handout for the rich. This guy cashed out on telling companies how to ship American jobs overseas. The American people deserve better than another billionaire mega-donor who puts themself and their rich friends ahead of American workers.” 

NEW: Billionaire donor Howard Lutnick was confirmed as Commerce Secretary, adding to Trump’s out-of-touch billionaire Cabinet. 

Senate Press Gallery: “The #Senate confirmed the nomination of Howard Lutnick to be Sec. of Commerce by a roll call vote of 51-45.”

Lutnick screwed over American workers by helping companies ship manufacturing jobs to Mexico. 

Washington Post: “On the campaign trail with Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick railed against policies that encouraged factories and jobs to move to Mexico. But at the same time, the president’s eventual nominee for commerce secretary runs a commercial real estate firm that has been pitching the virtues of Mexican manufacturing to American companies. …

“He is executive chairman of Newmark Group, a publicly traded commercial real estate firm, which has touted multiple industrial sites for sale and rent in Mexico, sometimes pitching them as a way for companies to avoid Chinese tariffs and tap into cheap labor. …

“The Washington Post identified four instances of properties for rent or purchase just across the Mexico border on Newmark’s website since March. In addition to the Puerto Verde complex, other listings played up proximity to the United States, appealing directly to manufacturers who were looking to cut costs.”

During his confirmation hearing Lutnick doubled down on Trump’s unaffordable $100 billion national tax, even though he admits it would raise prices for working families. 

Senator Amy Klobuchar: “I gave you my preference toward targeted tariffs for economy, weigh in on that.”

Lutnick: “I prefer across the board [blanket tariffs].” 

Senator Tammy Baldwin: “Can you commit to the American people that prices will not go up?”

Lutnick: “… A particular product’s price may go up.” 

The New Republic: “Even Lutnick himself has admitted Americans would bear the brunt of tariffs, but he still wants to impose them anyway. … Lutnick also gushed about tariffs at Trump’s fascistic rally in Madison Square Garden last month, claiming that America was better off 100 years ago, when it had ‘no income tax and all we had was tariffs.’”

Lutnick supports Trump’s disastrous Project 2025 economic agenda, including gutting Medicaid and SNAP to pay for another tax handout for him and his ultra-wealthy friends. 

New York Post: “Lutnick’s team has ‘already reached out’ to people affiliated with Project 2025, the source went on, arguing there is no possibility of staffing a second Trump administration ‘unless he’s going outside of the conservative movement.’”

Fox Business: “Howard Lutnick agrees with this – and will be strongly supported. Howard is a supply-sider who will also push hard for passage of the Trump tax cuts.”

Sarah Ferris: “House budget plan is out. Besides 2 years of debt limit + $4.5T in tax cuts and $200B in border, there’s BIG news for fiscal hawks 

“It calls for $2T in *mandatory* cuts, aka Medicaid”

Politico: “House GOP budget plan targets deep SNAP cuts”

REMINDER: During his first term, Trump created incentives for companies to ship jobs overseas and gave the ultra-wealthy massive handouts at the expense of working families, and Lutnick will help him do it all again. 

Forbes: “Trump Tax Cuts Helped Billionaires Pay Less Taxes Than The Working Class In 2018”

Washington Post: “For the first time in history, U.S. billionaires paid a lower tax rate than the working class last year”

Washington Post: “Trump will have the worst jobs record in modern U.S. history. It’s not just the pandemic.” 

Bloomberg: “The Offshoring of U.S. Jobs Increased on Trump’s Watch”

Washington Post: “Trump promised ‘America First’ would keep jobs here. But the tax plan might push them overseas.”

Bureau of Labor Statistics: When Trump left office, there were over 170,000 fewer manufacturing jobs than when he started.

CNN: “Trump told GM workers he could save their plant, but it’s gone for good”

Detroit News: “Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley warned that if President Donald Trump repeals provisions of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act like the electric vehicle battery production tax credits, the company could have to look at layoffs.”